A Caged Watchdog
by OmnomNation
Summary: "Hodeo taralna, rondero tarel." Alois grasps the damp grass, eyes widening. The chant grows louder, almost deafening, and my hands clasp around my ears. I take another step back, shocked by the power and wildness blazing in his glare. "Ciel," he whispers, his voice piercing the night. "You will be mine."
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hullo! Welcome to my fic...hope you like it haha. (I have edited it, so hopefully it'll flow better. c: )**

**~OmnomNation**

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Chapter 1

**Ciel Phantomhive**

_A light wind brushes the ground, rustling fallen leaves and sending a chill down my spine. The surrounding trees create a spider's web of branches, capturing the bright stars with its thin, twisting strands. A single strand of moon peeks out from behind the silky radiance of lost clouds. The night air is musky, with a hint of death. An eerie silence floods through the forest, my heart beat echoing throughout the trees. My feet move involuntarily, guiding me through the brush, deeper into the spider's web. _

_A dark figure appears from the shadows, sprawled across the roots of a tree. A shining black puddle surrounds the body, illuminated by a silver chord of moonlight. I step closer. The body is of a young boy, maybe thirteen or fourteen. His pale blond hair shines in the light, while his face is protected by shadows. Something about his blond hair and pale skin seems rather familiar. I step closer. The shadows part, allowing me to see his ghostly-white face. My eyes widen as I look upon the terror-struck light blue eyes that can only belong to one person._

Alois Trancy.

_I hear a small moan. _Is he…alive? _I wonder. His mouth twitches, mumbling something I can't quite make out. _

_"Hoheo taralna, rondero tarel. Hoheo taralna, rondero tarel," Alois whispers, his voice getting louder, "Hodeo taralna, rondero tarel." He grasps the damp grass, eyes widening. _

_I notice an odd gleam in his eyes, the usual sadistic blue mutating into an evil red, tinged with a deep pink. I gasp and take a step back as I realize I am now staring into a demon's eyes. He blinks and sits up, his fatal wounds already healing. The chant grows louder, almost deafening, and my hands clasp around my ears. Alois's head snaps up and he stares at me with feral eyes. I take another step back, shocked by the power and wildness blazing in his glare. _

_"Ciel," he whispers, his voice piercing the night. "You will be mine."_

* * *

"Good morning." Sebastian's voice rips me from the dream so suddenly, my eyes snap open and I immediately sit up. The butler glances toward me, curious.

"Bad dream, My Lord?" he asks quietly, already pouring the morning tea into a precious cup.

"Yes…it was merely a bad dream," I reply, mainly to myself. Yawning, I throw the covers off of my body and watch as Sebastian sets a plate of cookies next to the cup. I grasp the handle of the cup and breathe in bittersweet steam that curls around my lip as I taste the sweet, warm flavor of the tea.

The demon's gloved fingers flit swiftly over my body, peeling off the bedclothes and preparing me for the long day ahead. Soon enough, he finishes by slipping the famous Phantomhive ring, consisting of an emerald-cut deep blue stone sitting neatly in carefully crafted silver, onto my right thumb. I set down the teacup and instead pick up my eye patch from the bedside table to tie it securely around my eye.

"I'll be in my study this morning," I mumble as Sebastian leads me into the hallway.

"As you wish, My Lord." A loud crash erupts from below, echoing throughout the mansion.

_"What the hell?" _I wonder aloud.

"Sounds as though it came from the kitchen," Sebastian suggests. I nod and allow him to lead me down the spiraling marble staircase toward the kitchen. Upon arrival, I see none other than Mey-Rin, Finny, and Baldroy standing before a disaster. Copper pots and pans are cluttered on the floor, broken glass and plates scattered across the cold tile. Countless tea sets lay shattered on the counter tops. Fresh, first-rate ingredients are now bruised, crushed, reduced to nothing but a wide mess across the counter tops and floor.

"Well? What did you three do this time?" Sebastian questions calmly. The maid, the gardener, and the cook jump in surprise and slowly turn to meet my glare.

"W-we didn't do anything…" Mey-Rin squeaks.

"Yeah! We just happened to come across it," Baldroy adds.

"I didn't touch anything, Young Master!" Finny cries. I frown and rub my temples, frustrated.

"Just…clean this mess up, _now._ I have work to do in the study," I sigh. "And I'll expect my breakfast to arrive shortly." I smirk at the shocked faces of the maid, the cook, and the gardener. A tiny smile tugs at the corner of Sebastian's lips.

"Yes, My Lord," he promises. I turn on my heel and continue on my way to the study, climbing back up the staircase and striding down the twisting hallway. I pass several large windows, feeling the warmth of the sun's rays flood the corridor. My thoughts quickly turn to the dream I encountered last night.

Those empty, cold eyes, pale white skin, tattered and blood-stained clothes clinging to a powerful body. The image almost sent a chill down my spine. It's foolish to think of such things, it is merely a dream after all, but something keeps lingering in my head like a transparent fog…I am missing something, something important, but I can't quite grasp what it is.

A dark shadow passes one of the windows, catching me off-guard. In the brief second it flashes by the window, I notice that the figure is disturbingly…human. I stop for a brief moment and stare out the window. Nothing unusual; Finny is running around the massive garden while a few ravens perch in the tree below me. I try to clear my mind, telling myself that the light is simply playing tricks on me. The shadow must have been caused by the flock of ravens riding in the breeze outside.

_I am becoming too worked up over this. It was a silly dream, none of it happened. I need to focus, _I think to myself. Despite my determination to come back to reality, part of me knows it couldn't have been a flock of birds that created that shadow.

Someone, some_thing _is following me.

I walk leisurely down the hallway, ignoring this growing concern in my head. For now, I need to concentrate on the paperwork that has been neglected to be finished. Bills must be paid and business partners kept in check. And all the while Funtom must remain England's priority toy company. I allow a soft sigh to escape my lips. Running a company can be rather tiresome at times.

I finally halt in front of a familiar wooden door, my fingers wrapping firmly around the doorknob and turning it slowly. The door swings open swiftly, the faded scent of ink and paper drifting sleepily toward me in greeting. Four large windows stand tall and wide, shards of sunlight cutting through the floor and over the cluttered desk, where a cacophony of unopened letters and documents and empty bottles of ink wait for me. When was the last time I cleaned it out?

I stride easily to the desk, plopping down into the thick velvet chair and breathing in that calming scent that allows my mind to become clearer so that I may focus on today's bills and taxes and long-lost letters sent by various people.

A polite knock emanates from the door, keeping me from being able to set a single finger upon the papers in front of me. Sebastian quietly enters the study, rolling with him a cart of buttered toast, eggs, biscuits, ham, and a pitcher of water. For dessert a small slice of cake sits on a plate, adorned with strawberries and cream.

"Your breakfast, sir," he announces, rapidly clearing my desk with one hand into a neat and organized space, placing a tray of food gently in front of me. I nod stiffly, trying to concentrate once again on my work, but not getting very far.

"Took you long enough." I attempt to sound irritated, but my voice somehow comes out shaky, almost a whisper, as thoughts of the strange dream I encountered last night flooded through the open door and into my head. The butler glances up from where he is pouring a glass of water.

"Is something bothering you, My Lord?" he questions. I clear my throat and snatch the glass of water from Sebastian, gulping it down.

"No. Have you finished cleaning the kitchen?" I snap. He pauses for a moment before refilling the empty glass.

"Yes, sir. Although we have lost quite a few tea sets," he answers. Sighing, I recline in my chair, already tired from the stress of the day. The dream keeps working its way through my mind, greedy for my attention. Giving up on trying to work, I begin to chew some eggs instead. It's pathetic, really. Only a fool would be distracted by a silly nightmare like this. I need to get it off my mind, one way or another.

"Sebastian." I swallow. "Prepare a carriage for me, as soon as possible. We will be leaving soon after I am done with my breakfast." He nods in response.

"Where might we be heading to this time, My Lord?" I choke down some more eggs.

"The Trancy Manor. I must see Alois at once," I mutter.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey! This is the second chapter to A Caged Watchdog (obviously). I just wanted to say sorry it took so long to write. I was also working on another fanfic...but anyways, enjoy :)**

**~OmnomNation**

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Chapter 2

**Alois Trancy**

I run, feeling the wind whip my hair back and slap against my face. The grass delicately crunches beneath my footsteps. I slip between the hundreds of trees, each passing by in a blur as I sprint through the woods. Various animals chirp and screech at my presence, their voices mutating into a scream that runs inside my head.

I giggle lightly, enjoying this feeling of adrenaline and victory, as the shriek echoes louder in my skull. It sounds delightfully familiar, causing me to grin wildly at the wind.

The scream stops abruptly, along with the woods.

A massive mansion looms in the distance, surrounded by swirling wisps of fog.

The mist tumbles upon itself, parting in annoyance as I rush forward. In the matter of seconds, I am standing outside the front door, looking up at Claude from the doorway.

"Prepare the Manor," I instruct. "We'll be having a guest this afternoon."

* * *

"Hannah! Bring me the afternoon tea!" I call. I relax on my bed, the sun striking sharp blades of light in my bedroom from between the cracks in the billowing curtains. The maid appears in the room, nervously looking at the floor and bringing with her a tray of tea and biscuits. She sets it down on the bedside table and hands me a cup of freshly poured tea. I swipe it from her grasp and inspect it, carefully taking a sip. A bitter and plain taste spreads across my tongue, with the tiniest hint of sugar.

"What an awful taste," I say slowly, frowning at Hannah. "Although…one must get used to it, doesn't he? The taste of despair and grieving…with a hint of pointless hope." The maid doesn't reply, she simply averts her gaze from the floor to the windows. I snicker and continue.

"Of course, if one could cheat death,-open a whole new world, even-the taste would become more fruitful, full of the irony of life." I pause to look at Hannah, see her reaction. She purses her lips and frowns at the floor once more. I glare at her coldly and pour the cup's contents slowly onto her dress, rising from the bed. Hannah winces at the steaming drink staining her clothes but is careful not to look at me.

"Go," I mutter, setting the cup back onto the tray. Hannah curtseys and leaves, silently shutting the door behind her. I pick up a warm biscuit and nibble on the edge, turning to the window, my thoughts boiling. I pace the room as my thoughts slowly start to overflow.

"He should be arriving soon…" I murmur, pausing to glance out the window. The fog has disappeared somewhat, leaving behind a silky radiance that hides part of the sun. I escape a light sigh and relax on the bed once more, biting into another biscuit. _That damned maid has left stains on the floor…_ I think to myself, gazing down to the spot beside my feet.

* * *

A small dot breaks through the horizon. It bounces along the path leading to the Manor, growing in size from a distance. A smile tugs at the edges of my lips as I watch from the window in my bedroom.

_So easy to manipulate,_ I think to myself. _So easy to capture. _

The same feeling of triumph from the forest washes over me, bringing back the smell of the grass, peppered with dew, the feel of the wind whispering harshly in my ear. I giggle as the carriage comes ever so closer to its fate. My mind brings forth the familiar scream that erupted in my head in the forest, magnifying the memories of crisp air filling my lungs, thick trees rushing by.

_Yes, the scream _is_ familiar, _I recall.

The scream rips through the silence in my head, becoming louder and louder as the carriage becomes bigger and bigger until finally…it stops. Ciel's shriek has subsided, lost once again in the dark corners of my mind. The carriage has arrived, a pitch-black butler standing beside a small, blue-haired earl as they walk toward the front door.

"Ciel Phantomhive," I murmur, snickering. "Welcome to Hell."


End file.
